Check your tree: Mantis egg sacs in live Christmas Trees may hatch indoors
A Christmas celebration feels incomplete without a tree. However, enthusiasts of live trees should caution against choosing specimens with cones. Bringing such a tree indoors might entail unpleasant surprises.
2:22 PM EST, December 7, 2023
A live Christmas tree with natural cones indeed makes for a striking Christmas adornment. If you notice a growth amid its branches that doesn't resemble a traditional cone, it might be best to leave that tree outside and opt for the pruner.
Mantis egg sacs can be mistaken for Christmas tree cones
If you prefer a live Christmas tree, it's advisable to set it up inside your home during the day. The tree warrants a comprehensive inspection of its branches. A growth, often mistaken for a cone or nut, could actually be a cocoon of mantis eggs.
While these insects pose no direct danger to humans, they can bite. Although they don't discharge venom or spread diseases, they could put a damper on your celebrations. Their unexpected hatching might result in an overwhelming invasion of more than 100 active mantis larvae inside your house.
Therefore, any branches suspected of housing mantis' eggs should be pruned and left outdoors. Following this process can ensure that the Christmas tree becomes a safe and festive decoration for your home.
In particular, Cocoons housing mantis eggs on Christmas trees have been a major concern for residents in the United States. This issue gained public attention in 2019 when the officials of Erie County in Ohio issued a warning about mantises on Christmas trees.
By December, mantis eggs should ideally still be in the development process. But these are heat-loving insects, and a disruption in the thermal balance of a cocoon found on a Christmas tree can easily occur indoors. A few days in a warm environment could potentially provoke premature hatching of these mantises.
